Why doesn't the Evo come with some of the best mods already?
 

Unless I'm overlooking something obvious, why doesn't the Evo come stock with at least of few of the high quality mods that everyone seems to be adding? I'm not talking about the very expensive ones, just the modestly priced ones (like K&N air filter, high-flow exhaust, etc.) It wouldn't make the car prohibitively expensive and performance would be noticeably enhanced. In other words, why doesn't Mitsubishi produce the Evo with very little room for improvement? Why aren't they incorporating the very best into their cars? Is there some kind of understanding between Mitsu and aftermarket manufacturers? Or am I just being too simplistic?

I think they dont becuase they would put the aftermarket business out of business.

Because different things are legal in different states/countries...move to Europe and get the FQ400, but I'd rather choose each individual part that goes on my car instead of having it factory made like 30 other cars

Reliability issues come to mind.

So a stock Evo is the optimum Evo for reliability and longevity? This does sound plausible. I'd imagine that mitsu engineers built it in such a way that it would last as long as possible with the fewest number of problems possible. So if you want your Evo to last as long as possible, keep it stock, maintain it diligently, and treat it kindly, I guess.:)

If they did everything for you, that would take the fun out of it too.... Half the fun is building the car just the way you like it.

like one stated before, different states have different requirements, so they have to build to that need. also i think if the dealer threw in a K&N filter or a brad name high flow exhaust, you'll see a big price jump ( just becuase mitsubishi can do that )... i personally just think its becuase of the first reason... ya know. making eveyrthing all good and legit in the states

Also, mods are usually a higher-quality version of a stock part, including these stock would drive the price up significantly.

You also have to ask yourself where do you draw the line at "quality"? An expensive titanium exhaust certainly looks nice and saves some weight, but the price difference is huge over the standard exhaust which still delivers excellent performance for its cost.

There are other concerns, for instance the stock muffler is much quieter than any catback, most likely there are noise regulations which may be more strict in certain states. Since it's too expensive to provide (and stock) mufflers for a variety of markets within the US, manufacturers usually use the strictest states as a basis for what the stock part has.

Everybody pretty much hit it on the head; cost, reliability, noise.

Don't forget emissions. The way it sits now, even though it runs rich, the car satisfies various governmental regulations on emissions. From what I've heard these increased regulations are part of the reason we don't get AYC. Think of the FQ400: it has 400 hp and a warranty, but it gets horrible gas mileage to produce a decent safety margin against detonation. Thats not really possible here.

just look @ your suspension components and you'll see where all the $ went. really really strong, i can attest to that, also the seam welding among other things.

It's all about $$$$$$$

If they used the best parts and made it hard to improve upon, the car would cost too much and it wouldn't sell too well.